


[to be named]

by ennofore



Series: Ennofore [1]
Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: ????? idk!!!!!! fek, Contemporary Fantasy, Fantasy, Magic, contemporary magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-16 02:20:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18085550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ennofore/pseuds/ennofore
Summary: Four individuals explore a world of complex magic systems, experiencing different powers, and doing whatever possible to attain their goals or stop others from doing so. It's a story of remembering balance; as what is given, can be taken.





	[to be named]

A timid stranger pushed open a strong wood door and walked into the entry of a dark and cold shop; they could see a counter curving out from the left wall with what looked to be a kitchen behind it at the back of place, and a couple tables between them and the counter, akin to a small restaurant. The shop was hard to see in the dim light of the night, but it appeared to have high shelves along the wall filled with mostly orbs and knick-knacks alike, plants growing and trailing down from seemingly nowhere in spots above windows- no pots could be seen. Were they growing out of the walls? Were actual living ferns growing out of the walls? What? They craned their neck up a bit to see if they could make out the base of the plant, maybe the shopkeeper was good at manipulating space by chance-

"Ah, yes. Those.."

The stranger jumped at the voice and turned to see a young man wearing lemon-patterned pajama pants and a white t-shirt. He looked tired, eyes half closed and long white hair somewhat tangled, yawning, "We had a character with an extremely strong pull on the magic around him, no control at all, and just so happened to have enough elemental magic for a whole new ecosystem. Plants sprouted through the wall from the wood beams inside it. Ridiculous. Not awful though, could've been worse." He turned his soft gaze to the stranger in his shop.

"I- Um- Sorry for the intrusion." The stranger lightly bowed and the white haired man shook his head.

"That's what my shop is here for, you have a need, yes?" He replied with a sleepy head tilt and kind smile- and with a glance at the stranger in his shop and no need for answer, he flicked his hand at the wrist and the orbs adorning the shop shelves started to glow softly in various white and gray hues. "Come sit down?" The shopkeeper questioned softly, covering a yawn as he sat at a table near the counter.

With a couple of rapid blinks in confusion, the stranger flexed their fingers and pulled their sleeves up with soft and quiet determination, looking down at their arms. They passed a table before they joined the shopkeeper and cautiously put their arms on top of the table's smooth multi-colored surface.

"What's your name?"

"Kohaku."

The shopkeeper smiled, "I'm Iden Ao. Iden is the given name, you're welcome to call me by it," Iden looked down at the Kohaku's arms with a blank gaze that he couldn't work out.

"I just.. I don't want this anymore." Kohaku said quietly, looking at his arms.

His arms were both shaped well and healthy enough, if that was something to go by. The color... They looked like charred wood, black and ashy and smudged in some places. Iden gently traced a hand down from Kohaku's elbow to his wrist, none of the charcoal color came off nor stained his fingers, and he seemed to visibly relax,

"You're a fire user-"

“-I know, 'this is normal'- But it's up to my elbows and  _I don't even use fire magic_ \- I try and keep it leveled and controlled and  _I'm burning!"_  Kohaku interrupted in desperation.

Iden leaned back into his chair with a straightened posture and an even, not-tolerating-interruptions, look.

“I’m sorry, I'm a bit defensive because no doctors will look into it further than considering it basic fire magic..” Kohaku ducked his head. 

“I understand, I’ll look into this as far as I can. What's your CCP?" he asked, tilting his head to look at Kohaku's expression from his position.

“I'm in the gray- six I think-, have about three or more types of magic that I can feel, and a fluctuating pull." he replied with a mournful look up at Iden.

Iden inhaled deeply and exhaled a sigh. With Kohaku's control of magic just leaning the good half of the gray spectrum at a six, with a fluctuating pull of magical energy, and not using fire at all, there's no way he should be getting the charcoal stains under his skin from use of fire magic- or from the look of his arms- excessive use of fire magic. Kohaku's fluctuating amount of magical energy should mean there were days where he would have low amounts, giving him a break from the pressure of controlling anything whether he liked it or not.

"What is your other magic?"

Kohaku inhaled and his fingers tapped on the table, “As bases I’ve got natural, force, astral-“ he squinted slightly “-I've known of the two former for awhile, astral's new, hut I can barely do anything with it; I haven't had much time to figure it out because.." he raised his arms pointedly.

"I see. Well- I see that I'm not quite seeing," Iden clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them with a frown while Kohaku paled and had the most anguished expression you can give at 3am to a new acquaintance, "You have adequate control for what you've been dealt- and you're lucky enough to have a pull of reasonable amount for something that fluctuates. What is your problem precisely? Do you have some internalized feelings against fire magic?"

Kohaku took a breath. A preparing breath. He raised his arms up off the table with his elbows still leaning on it, and his arms caught fire.

Iden stood up so quickly his chair scooted back fast enough to catch and fall over and he immediately covered his nose,  _"That is not basic fire magic!"_

Kohaku said a weak and squeaky  _"No shit?!”_  with a facial expression to match. His arms were wrapped in fire that looked like liquid light, creamy white and curling and.. making faces. The fire was making faces. Kohaku closed his eyes into a tight squint of concentration and the fire went out, his forearms and fingers left slightly smoking. 

“Why didn’t you start with that?!” Iden exclaimed while holding his nose and waving his free hand at the smoke, then leaned to the right and grabbed a paper fan off the shelf and busily started clearing the air.

Kohaku slouched in defeat, “I probably should’ve, huh..?” Iden shot a pointed glare in response.

Kohaku watched as Iden walked around his fallen chair and around the wood tables behind them and on towards the counter, going behind it and disappearing through a curtain of papers into some back room. Kohaku coughed at the faint residual smoke in the air and leaned with his chin in his palm, put his other arm on the table palm-up, and flicked his fingers towards him to pull the chair off the floor and upright with a drag and a thump. Force was a convenient type of magic to grow up with.

After a few minutes Iden appeared from behind Kohaku, rightfully scaring the shit out of him and confusing him greatly, with a large couple of mason jars in hand and set them down on the table in front of Kohaku. Iden took one look at his expression and stated, “Minimal teleportation.” Kohaku let out a small ‘ah’ and his shoulders dropped in relief. 

The jars had quite a few gemstones and minerals in various states: on their own, in necklaces, bracelets, cuffs, rings, earrings, and hairpins from what Kohaku could see.

Iden began to open the jars; slowly, as if it took a fair amount of effort, many of the gems held in items began to float and drift out of the jars. Iden looked at a few and mumbled something about ‘too draining’ and the items began to drift downwards and be placed on the table.

Iden looked up at Kohaku- Kohaku stared back blankly.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of many methods for low-control individuals to manage their flow of magic; I specifically focus in Pre-Pull Era beliefs, are you familiar with this history?” Iden tilted his chin down and eyed Kohaku with a gaze that had something unsettling about it. Kohaku shook his head ‘no’. 

Iden lifted his head and his expression changed to something lax and resigned, “Okay then. Pre-Pull Era: when we humans possessed no magic; civilization at the time had spirituality and sciences based around gemstones and that the items had an effect on people’s minds and health. Clearing and strengthening and practices and symbolism based in all sorts of cultures. It’s been researched by our very own Post-Pull generation and we found that these philosophies are more applicable now than ever for our ability to pull magic,” Iden picked up a hairpin and twirled it slowly between his finger and thumb, “The character I mentioned earlier- the one with no control who’s left my shop looking like a plant enthusiast’s place- we’ve been meeting frequently to apply these stones in various different ways to suppress and manage his control issue in a way that doesn’t wreak havoc to poor bookstores and cafés alike.” Iden chuckled.

Kohaku blinked a few times, “So I just… need to wear some hairpin or necklace to make this stop?”

Iden eyed him with that same unsettling look from earlier, soft smile vanished.

“We had to embed the stones into the body to have any meaningful effect.”

Kohaku’s face twisted into something frightened and mortified.

“But!” Iden leaned back, crossing a lemon-pajama-clothed leg over the other and still twirling the hairpin, he gave Kohaku a smile, “That was because the individual was a hard white, an honest-to-the-gods zero on the control. You’re in the gray, what, a six? That’s on the positive half. You may be a lucky enough case that ‘some hairpin or necklace’ would work.” Iden at this point seemed irritatingly cheeky.

Kohaku deflated a little but still had an expression of visceral concern for his well-being on his face. The trust for this guy... was hard to place, especially when he toyed with Kohaku's nerves so much for amusement. He glanced down at his arms, palms up, and gently closed and opened his fists. His expression softened a bit and he sighed.

“Does that really… solve the problem though? It seems like some sort of permanent prescription.” He looked up.

Iden reached across the table and put the hairpin down in front of Kohaku, “It’s only temporary, I still plan on looking into whatever’s causing this,” he looked more sincere now, “My first theory is that something about your magic is clashing- or rather mixing- and it’s just that we haven’t found what it may be. Personally, I find that it’s harder to control something you’re unaware of. Understanding is key to all problem-solving my friend,” Iden gave Kohaku’s palms a pat-pat and got up, gems and items floating up with his movement and starting to put themselves back in the jars.

Kohaku nodded and stood up as well, then noticed some items hadn’t gotten up with the rest.

Iden followed his gaze, “I thought two bracelets would be better; closer to where it’s most physically manifesting that way.” On the table was two woven, brown, bracelets with gems that contained the colors of autumn; earthy warm browns accompanied by reds, oranges, and yellows. Kohaku watched Iden’s hands reach into his vision and pick up a bracelet at a time, helping to fasten them on his wrists, he looked up and thanked him with a bow of his head. Iden smiled faintly, “They’re also fine to shower with- not many people think to ask. I should have some sort of leads or answers for you in a week or two if you’d like to swing by then, but also don’t hesitate to come by if something goes awry,” Iden gestured to the dark shop illuminated by the orbs on the shelves, “As you can see I’m generally available." 

Kohaku straightened up stiffly in realization, “Oh I’m so sorry I forgot to apologize for how late it was-“

“-Eh, it’s fine.” Iden shrugged and pat the top of a jar, standing beside the table, “Let me show you out,” he gestured behind Kohaku towards the front of the shop. Kohaku bowed his head quickly and pushed his chair in before walking towards the entrance with the shopkeeper meandering behind him. A bit of guilt tugged at him as he realized the entire disposition of the shopkeeper is probably because of how tired he is.

With muttered goodbyes the two parted ways. One, back to bed. The other, into the dimly lit streets of the night, two gems on his wrists glinting in the weak light of a streetlamp.


End file.
